Puppet-valve for gas-engines



F. D. SHEPHERD.

PUPPET VALVE FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4.1918.

1,330,045. Patented Feb. 3,1920.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET l- L l I 2/ A3 I I 39 F. D. SHEPHERD.

PUPPET VALVE FOB GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1918.

1,330,045 Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

8 9 1 49 4 /& 1.8 i

I I I I v L II ILII 1 LI] {Kill r1 7l\l k m m m m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK 1). SHEPHERD, or s m.- LAKE CITY, UTAH.

PUPPET-VALVE FOR GASrENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK D. SHEPHERD, of Salt Lake City,.county oi Salt Lake, and State of Utah, have invented a certain new and useiul Improvement in Puppet-Valves for Gas-Engines, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription thereof. 1

My invention relates to internal combustion engines, and in particular to the valves and valve actuating mechanism, and my. object is to! so improve the construction that cost of manufacture will be lessened, and at the same time the strength of the parts increased, and such wear of the valve head or its seat as will impair its efliciency, be prevented, and to this end, and for'attaining other objects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art, my invention consists in the puppet valve and its actuating mechanism constructed substantially as ,hereinafter specified, and claimed. Inthe annexed drawings- Figure 1 is a view in vertical section through one of the valve mechanisms, embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation,.of a four cylinder T-head gas engine, embodying my invention;

Fig. '3' is a view, like Fig. 1, showing another embodiment of my invention; Fig. 8 is a detail enlarged view showing the ball bearing between disk and stem.

Fig. t'is' a similar view of yet another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a detail top. plan view of the lower, spring-engaging disk shown in Fig. 4:.

Givinga detail description of the construction shown in the drawing, the engine shown is of the T-head type with four cylinders 10 and connected with said head there are as many puppet valves, as, in the judgment of the designer it is proper, or desirable to.

employ, sixteen in the case shown, but for the purpose of disclosing my invention to those skilled in the art it is not necessaryto show and describe more than one valve lllQOliELlllSlD, which thus is to be taken as representative, or typical for both the intake and the exhaust, and for as many as it may be desirable,or expedient to employ. There may be either single or double intake and exhaust valves, on beth sides of the engine.

-My' invention, as will be evident, has to do with the valve construction and not with the number employed (although its construc- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

' Application filed May 4, 1918. Serial No. 232,592.

tion is such as to render unnecessary multiplication of the number) nor is my inven tion concerned with the particular type, or construction of the engine. In the engine head eccentric to the cylinder, I provide an internally threaded opening 12 which extends from the outer end of the head into the port 13, which is controlled by the valve mechanism, for which purpose, directly in line with said opening 12 and on the opposaid outer end and a gas tight joint formed by a washer, or gasket 19 clamped between the cap and a shoulder, or bearing on the shell. At the opposite inner end of the shell it is closed save for a central hole 20 through which passes, with a sliding fit, a stem 21. Said stem extends from the valve end into the chamber in said shell and within the chamber it has a flange, or head 22 of substantially the diameter of the chamber, and between saidhead and an abutment, or bear ing surface is interposed an expansive coil spring 23, which'by pressure on the valve transmitted through said head and stem yieldingly holds the valve to its seat'from which it is'lifted by'the usual lifter cam 2.4.

The head 22 is in the form of a disk separate from the stem 21, but is seated on the upper end of the latter by having a socket 25 in its underside into which snugly fits the upper end of the stem 21. Upon its upper side said disk has a centralboss 26that projects into the lowest coil of the spring 23, and on its periphery a series of radial notches 220 to permit the ready passage of air so as to prevent movement of the valve being hindered by air pressure. As the disk is a separate piece from the stem, the disk can be drop-forged or stamped out, and

costly machine work is thus avoided, and,

Fig. 3, be interposed between the top of the stem and the bottom of the disk, said ball being seated in a recess 27 in the top of the stem. And, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the

disk may have a central hole 28 leading i from its top to the ball or the top end 01 the stem, for the supply of a lubricant to the contacting surfaces on disk and stem, and prevent cutting or grinding of the surfaces of the disk socket 25.

The recess 27 for the ball may be made with flat sides to receive a turning tool 'for grinding the valve on its seat, or as shown in Fig. 4, a slot 211 may be provided in the top'ot the stem for that purpose.

The guide hole for the stem 21 may, as shown in Fig. 4, be provided in a bushing 29 of different material from the shell 16, and tightly fitting and secured within a hole in the latterbe-low the spring chamber or the shell 16 may have a hole just large enough to fit the stem. And, preferably, in either 7 case, a plurality of annular grooves 30 is provided in said guide opening to provide pockets for lubricant and form a seal to prevent leakage of gas around'the stem. By making said grooves in the walls oi? the guide openings instead of in the stems, the latter are not weakened, but every advan tage from the use of grooves, is secured. Some valve stems are so small that it would be objectionable to groove them, and that is my reason for placing the grooves in the guide wall.

, As shown in each of Figs. 1, 3 and 4, an oiling hole 31 is provided through the top of the cap 18, at its center, which may be'closed by a removable screw plug 32, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1-, a gasket'320 being placed under the plug head to make a gastight joint, or, as shown in Fig, 8 it maybe closed by a disk 33within the spring chamber, which engaged by the upper coil of the spring, 'is held tight against the inner surface of'the cap around the hole 31,a gas tight joint being assured by a ground joint between contacting sides of cap and disk. By press ing down the disk, as by the nozzle of an oil can, the oil will flow over the disk, and be distributed in all directions, and pass down around the disk, such passage being promoted by radial notches 34 in the periphcry of the disk 33. On its inner side the disk has a boss or projection 35 that loosely fills the spring coils, and is of such length as to serve as a filler of space in the casing 16, and thus diminish the unoccupied volume in the shelland, hence, the room for gas that I be flat, and, hence, economy of construction is secured, The disk and its boss may be used in the construction shown inFigs. 3 and 4, or merely the boss 36 employed, as shown in said Figs. 3 and l, whichprojects inwardfrom the cap, and'serves merely as a spring centering device,or as a filler.

The cap 16, as shown in Fig. 3,.ma'y have an angular socket 37 in its top to receive a turning-tool, or, as shown in Fig. 1, may have radial holes 38 in its side, to receive a spanner wrench or a rod; or, as shown in Fig. 4, it may have spaced lugs 39 between which can be placed abar forturningit. In all these ways the quantity of metal required for the cap can be lessened, and thus cheapness and lightness obtained, but without sacrifice of proper strength. Additional lightness is obtained in the cap shown in Fig. 1 by a recess 40 in its top to receive the head of the oil plug 32. V 1

Although I show a singlespring inthe shell 16, it is to be understood that more canbe used, if desired. 7 1

It is also to be understood that the various features of my valve seating mechanism may bedifi'erently combined. 7

What I claim is: r

1. The combination of an engine cylinder having a valve-controlled passage with a valve seat, a puppet valve, a shell or container, a spring in said'container, a stem reaching from the valve into said container, and a spring engaging diskin thecontainer separate-from the stem, the spring and stem engaging the disk on opposite sides, the stem terminating short of the side of the disk engaged by the spring 2. The combination of an engine cylinder having a valve-controlled passage with a valve seat, apuppet valve,'a shell or container, a spring in said container, a stem.

reaching from the valve into. said container,

7 and a spring-engaging disk in said container separate from the stem and having in its tainer separate from the stem and having in its underside a stem receiving socket, an oil hole being provided in said disk leading into said socket. I y

4. The combination of an engine cylinder having a valve-controlled passage with a valve seat, a puppet valve, a shell or container, a spring in said container, a stein reaching from the valve into said container, a springengaging disk in said container separate from the stem and having in its under side a stem receiving socket, and a ball bearing between the disk and the stem.

5. The combination of an engine cylinder having a valve-controlled passage With a valve seat, a puppet valve, a shell or container, a spring in said container, a stem reaching from the valve into said container, a spring-engaging disk in said ontainer separate from the stem and having in its under side a stem receiving socket, and a cap having a normally closed oiling hole,

secured to the outer end of said shell and Which supports the thrust of the spring.

6. The combination of an engine cylinder having a valve-controlled passage with a valve'seat, a puppet'valve, a shell or corn tainer, a spring in said container, a stem reaching from the valve into said container,

a spring-engaging disk in said container,

separate from the stem and having in its under side a stem recelving socket, and a cap havlng a normally closed oiling hole,

. secured to the outer end of said shell and FRANK D. SHEPHERD. 

